Sucli faith may well put us to shame. With all our books of evidence, and lives of saints, and libraries of divinity, how few know anything of simple, childlike confidence in Christ's mercy and Christ's power. And even among those who are believers, the degree of faith is often strangely disproportionate to the privileges en- joyed. Many an unlearned man, who can only read his New Testament with difficulty, posesses the spirit of unhesitating trust in Christ's advocacy, while deeply- read divines are harassed by questionings and doubts. They who, humanly speaking, ought to be first, are often last, and the last first.
For another thing, let us mark ivhat ivisdom there is in using every opportunity for getting good for our souls. These blind men sat '^ by the wayside." Had they not done so, they might never have been healed. Jesus never returned to Jericho, and they might never have met with Him again.
Let us see, in this simple fact, the importance of dili- gence in the use of means of grace. Let us never neglect the house of Grod, — never forsake the assembling of ourselves with God's peoj)le, — never omit the reading of our Bibles — never let drop the practice of private prayer. These things, no doubt, will not save us without the grace of the Holy Ghost. Thousands make use of them, and remain dead in trespasses and sins. But it is just in the use of these things that souls are converted and saved. They are the ways in which Jesus walks. It is they who "sit by the way-side" who are likely to be healed. Do we know the diseases of our souls ? Do we feel any desire to see the great Physician ? If we do.